Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapter Two revealed

Speyside single malt Balvenie has unveiled Chapter Two of its DCS Compendium, a collection of five whiskies with a £20,000 price tag.

Scotch sequel: Chapter Two of the DCS Compendium is available as a set for £20,000

The collection of five whiskies created by Balvenie malt master David Stewart has been given the title ‘The Influence of Oak’, and aims to chart the diversity in the single malt’s character following maturation in different casks.

Balvenie will eventually release 25 bottlings across five ‘Chapters’ for the DCS Compendium, a series designed to commemorate Stewart’s long career with the distillery and described as Balvenie’s ‘biggest launch to date’.

The whiskies in Chapter Two range in age from 15 to 43 years old, and have been matured in a range of cask types, including European oak oloroso Sherry butts, first fill American oak Bourbon barrels, European oak Port puncheons and European oak Pedro Ximénez Sherry butts.

Stewart, who has worked at Balvenie for 54 years and last year received an MBE, said: ‘This chapter highlights the complexity of flavours each expression takes from wood.

'I love the results from the older oloroso Sherry butt, which has produced a whisky with a fantastic floral and fruity nose, followed by a wonderful honeyed sweetness. The whisky taken from the 2001 Pedro Ximénez Sherry butt is unusual: it shows Balvenie as a near liqueur with toffee sweetness and a touch of spicy ginger.’

Chapter Two is available to buy as a set, complete with display case, for £20,000, or as individual bottles. Fifty sets are available globally.